• by Erik Sass , June 10, 2008

DirecTV is adding programming from three networks owned by Mexico's TV Azteca to its satellite TV service this week, as part of its Spanish-language DirecTV Mas package. The new channel, called Azteca Mexico, significantly boosts Azteca's reach in the U.S., while bolstering DirecTV's offerings for Hispanic viewers. It's set to debut June 11.

DirecTV already carries programming from Azteca America, a Spanish-language network created specifically for the U.S. Hispanic market. According to Azteca Networks CEO Adrian Steckel, the new DirecTV channel "will complement our successful broadcast network and together, the two channels will form Azteca Networks."

Azteca America, underdog to Univision and Telemundo, broadcasts a mix of original programming and rebroadcast Mexican content, including ever-popular soccer coverage.

However, the new Azteca Mexico channel will offer substantially more content from Mexico, targeting "a specific segment of the market," Steckel said. It aims at the viewer who "craves that daily Mexican connection, with newscasts, novelas and entertainment programs offered the same day they air in Mexico."

Azteca's three Mexican networks broadcast a number of popular programs including telenovelas (soap operas), reality and entertainment shows, and various morning shows.